Pages

Monday, November 27, 2017

Review: "A Bad Mom's Christmas" should have had the montage song from "Team America" in it

A Bad Mom's Christmas Review

I never saw the original "Bad Moms." I just never got around to seeing it, from what I have heard, it doesn't sound like I missed much. I have always liked Mila Kunis and I think she's grown as an actress over the course of her career. I think Kirsten Bell can be hilarious when she chooses the right material, which is usually about fifty-fifty. I think Kathryn Hahn is pretty freaking hilarious in most of the stuff she was in. I wasn't expecting anything amazing with "A Bad Moms Christmas," I was solely hoping for something enjoyable.

"A Bad Moms Christmas" isn't offensively bad, but I think its a bit far from enjoyable. I hate to break it to you, readers, but the only word I could use to describe it is "odd." It's a very odd movie. It feels like a begrudgingly odd experience. The movie feels like one big montage. I was reminded of the montage song from "Team America: World Police," because it seemed like every other moment of screen-time was devoted to a montage. That song should have been in the movie. When Amy (Kunis), Kiki (Bell) and Carla (Hahn) decide that their uninvited moms are there to pester them for the Christmas holiday, there is a montage of them getting drunk and eating food. Then there is a montage of their family on a fun trip, then there are listless montages after that. It's weird that the whole film feels like a montage.

When we aren't looking at a mirage of unconnected scenery, we get a typical, Hallmark-type Christmas tale. Each of these women has a separate problem with their mothers. Amy's mom, Ruth (Christine Baranski) likes traditional Christmas's even though they bore the rest of the family out, and after Amy promised her family a mellow Christmas, she clashes with Ruth. Kiki doesn't feel like she ever receives space from her mother Sandy (Cheryl Hines), and when Sandy plans to buy the house right next door to Kiki's, it drives her insane. Then there is Carla and her mother Susan Sarandon playing Isis. It's a typical, modern Sarandon role where she plays a wild, sexy lady. Isis needs to borrow money from Carla, and Carla doesn't want to give it to her because she knows she's reckless with money. Each of these storylines is satisfied with a typical Hollywood ending, with a nice green and red holiday bow wrapped around the film's ending. There are no surprises here.

The film doesn't even promise what the title eludes to. There is nothing "bad" about these bad moms. Oh, maybe they grind a Santa Claus and they go watch the guy from "This Is Us" in a Christmas-style strip tease. There is no raunchy dialogue, none of the comedy lands, and there are no situations that are funny. I usually base my reaction to comedies on how often I laugh, and I didn't laugh very often. In fact, I will admit that I fell asleep a time or two.

The movie is predictable. The film really isn't funny. It's not raunchy at all. The acting is fine, I guess. The movie doesn't really bring anything new to the table. That what makes it so odd. It's an oddly passive experience and I can't say I will remember it a week from now.